Apparatus for recovering gasoline



H. B. BERNARD APPARATUS FOR RGOVERING GASOLINE May 14, 1929.

Original Filed May 8, 1924 Patentedr May 14, 1929;

UNITED 1,713,323` PATENT] OFFICE,

HAROLD B. BERNARD, or TULSA, OKV'LAIVIOMA,` AssIGNOR TosINoLAROIL AND GASU COMPANY, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, kA CORPORATION or; MA'INE.

l APPARATUS FOR VRucova-:RING'C-ASOLIYNE, f

originar application 'filed May s, 1,924, semaine. 711,779.' :Divided and' thispapplicatin' filedv Nvembe Y, Y 14,1924. serial No. 749,892; ,f

rIhis invention relates to improvements in apparatus tor separating constituents of gas mixtures by treatment with absorbents and for recovering the absorbed constituents :from the liquid absorbent-s. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus which is specially adaptedior recovering liquid mixtures ot hydrocarbons of the type commonly known as` natural lgas gasoline, natural gasolineuand casinghead gasoline 'from natural gas and the like. The apparatus of the present invention is of special value and application in carrying out the process described in an application tiled' May 8th, 1924, Serial No. 711,779 and which has issued as Patent No. 1,560,137 ot which this application is a division. o Y

Briefly, in recovering the natural vgas gasoline from natural gas, or similar gaseous mixtures, by' absorption in a liquid menstruum, the natural gas is subjected to treatment with a liquid absorbent capable of selectively dissolving or entraining the gasoline constituents, the stripped gas and the absorbent charge-:l with gasoline are separated, the absorbed gasoline,for as great a` part aspossible or practicable, is distilled from the absorbent, the denuded absorbent is cooled and returned lfor 'further treatment of' an additional quantity of natural gas, and the sepl arated gasoline is condensed and collected.

The present invention relates particularly to 'y an improved apparatus adapted Vfor carrying out processes of this general character in an improved and advantageous way.

The apparatus ofthe invention comprises an absorber or absorbers for treatingthe gas mixture with the liquid absorbent, a preliminary still and connections for conducting` charged absorbent from the absorber thereto, a receptaclethrough which the liquid residuum from the preliminary still is passed in countercurrent -flow and in direct cont ct with the vapors and'gases from 'the preliminary still for exhausting the liquid rcsiduum and appropriate connections between this'receptacle and the preliminary still including meansfor regulating and reducing the pressure between'the preliminarv still andthe exhaustingT receptacle and' 'tormaintaining a lower pressure in thee);- hansting receptacle, a cooler and connections for returning denuded liquid absorbent effected.

from the exhausting receptacle to the absorber therethrough. Y In the apparatus of the present invention,V

the desired constituents vare separated from A' the gas mixture by absorption in the liquid absorbingmedium and the charged fliquid absorbent is then subjected to a preliminary distillation treatment wherein an Ainitial separation ot' gases, vapors rand liquid Iis Following the distillation treatment, the pressure upon the separatedV gases`l and vapors and theliquid'is reducedk andthe preheated liquid is passed in countercurrent` ilow and in direct contact withthe preheated gases andv vaporsunder a lower pressure than that tillation treatment. The absorbed constituents are thus recovered'from the liquid ab` prevailing in the preliminary dissorbent iny an improved manner and may be o collected and subjected to 'further treatment' as desired, The denuded absorbent'is then cooled and returned for furtherv treatment of an additional quantity of the gas mixture.

The absorbing apparatus employed may be of conventiormlA rconstructionand arrangement. The preliminary still may be astill otordinary construction adapted to with-` stand the pressure employed and may be' heated by direct fire or submerged steam coil or by lines throughv which heating gases are passed. In practice, a horizontal, liretube boiler can be v.employed although requiring a closer regulation oi the liquid level than is necessary with a shell `or liquid tube typeof still. Connections may al'solbe provided for the direct introduction of steam or otherinert gas into the liquid charge, particularly where it is desirable to employ lower'temperatures inthe prelieater.V

Automatic or semi-,automatic means may"v scribed in an application otJohn E', 'Bellfiled April 1,1924, Serial No. 703,388 and which has rissued as Patent No. 1,683,151 or: other towery of similarl functionl adapted to promote intimate contact Yand heat exchange between downwardly flowing liquid and upwardly flowing vapors and gases'. Connections are provided for discharging the liq-L uid residuum from the preliminary still into the upper part ot this column and the vapors and gases from the preliminary still into the lower part of this column. By arranging the inlet connection for the liquid residuum spaced below the top ofthe tower, the upperI part of the tower above this inlet connection can be employed as a rectilier tor the separated constituents. The vapors and gases containing the separated constituents are withdrawn from the top ot the exhaustine' tower, and a cooler is provided and connections are arranged for returning the denuded absorbent from the lower end oit the tower through the cooler to the absorbing apparatus. y

.The pressure upon the vapors and may be reduced by the interposition of a valve in the connection conducting the vapors and gases to the exhausting tower. v A manually operatedvalve or a expansion valve may be used for this purpose. The pressure upon the liquid residuum may be reduced by means ot a valve between the still andthe exhaustingtower.

`This valve may be operated by level operated means inthe preliminary still, thus cooperating with the expansion valve in the vapor and gas connection in controlling the pressure reduction and the liquid level in the preliminary still. Or the point ot discharge ot the liquid residuum into the exhausting tower may be arranged at a point sui'liciently n desired additional pressure.

Velevated above the liquid level in the preliminary still sorthat the column of liquid between the liquid level in the preliminary still and the inlet into the tower imposes the A level operated valve may be employed in combination with such an elevated discharge tor controlling the rate ot discharge ol' liquid residuum into the tower.

llVhere a tower is employedV as the lexhausting receptacle, it advantageous to employ an elevated discharge, either alone or in combination with a. pressure reducing valve, 'for reducing the pressure between the preliminary still and the exhausting tower and to use the pressure in the preliminary still for forcing the liquid residuum 'from the still into the upper part ot the exhausting tower. Hot oil is dillicult to pump, and, by

v utilizing all or a part ot the excess pressure prevailing in the preliminary still to circulate the hot liquid residuum to the exhausting tower,'pumping of the hot liquid residuum can be avoided.

The upper end of the exhausting` tower Y may be provided with cooling coils or other cooling surfaces and the separated constituents subjected to dephlegmation within'the upper end of the tower, or the vapors and gases escaping from the upper end ot the tower may be conducted `through one or more cooled receptacles or dephlegmators sensitive automatic before being subjected Vto final condensation. llhere a separate dephlegmating receptacle is employed, the dephlegmate can be returned to the rectitying section of the tower, that is the section above the hot-liquid residuum inlet, to assist in the rectilication therein. A valved connection may also be provided lor introducing a. regulated part ot the charged absorbent trom the absorbing apparatus into direct contact with the vapors anc gases in one or more ot the dephlegmators to assist or to regulate the dephlegmation.

The invention will beturther described in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating in a diagrammatic way apparatus embodying the invent-ion; but intended and will be understood that this further description and illustration are tor the purpose ot exemplification and that the invention is not limited thereto. The accoinpanying drawing schen'iatieally represents, in elevation and in section with parts Y broken away, a complete apparatus embodying the invention which is particularly adapted 'for recovering gasoline or the like trom natural gas or similar gaseous mixtures. i f

The absorber illustrated in the drawing consists of a vertically arranged tower l with battles or filling material 2 tor promoting intimate contact between gases and liquids in the absorber arranged on the interior of the absorber. A connection 3 is provided for introducing the natural gas, or other gas mixture,into the absorber below the battles or lilling material and a connection 4l is provided for discharging stripped gas from the upper end ot the tower alter it' has passed upwardly through the battles or filling material therein. The liquid absorbing medium is introduced into the top ot the tower through connection 5 by means of pump @and is distributed over the battles or illing material by means oi spray-head 7. The gas mixture and the absorbent are thus directly contacted in countercurrent flow. A governor8 is provided actuated by a flow rate mechanism in connectionV 5 tor controlling the operation of the pump 6 to maintain a constant rate ot 'llow oi the liquid absorbent. rlhe charged absorbent collects in the liquid reservoir 9 in the lower part ot the tower and is discharged therefrom through connection l0. A iioat actuated valve ll is provided in the outlet to connection l() l'or maintaining the liquid level in the reservoir below the gas inlet'and above the liquid outlet. ln placeoic the single absorbershown, a series of absorbers may be employed and the mixture and absorbent passed successively therethrough. ln treating natural gas :tor the recovery of gasoline superatmospheric pressure is commonly' employed in the absorber to promote the ab- 1 c: illu llO lil-G sorption, and in the apparatus "illustrated the pressure inthe absorber lis employed to force the charged absorbent to the' preliminary still. A pump may, however, be employed in connection for withdrawing the charged absorbent from the absorbing tower and circulating it tothe preliminaryr still. lVhere high'pressures prevail inthe absorber, the action of the-valve 11 A1n reducing and regulating the pressure may be suppleinented by valve 12.

The preliminary still comprises a shell 13 having a vapor dome 14 and is provided with the usual accessoriesincluding -a level gauge (not shown), a thermometer 15 and a pressure gauge 16. The still 1s heated over Va gas or oil lired furnace 17 and a thermo for introducing steam or other inert gas directly'V into thecharge yin the preliminary still. The charged absorbent from the absorber is introduced into the preliminary still through connection-"10, heat exchanger 21 and connection 22. The liberated vapors and gases escape fromv the preliminary stillV through connection 23 andv the hot liquid residuum is discharged through connection 24. A float actuated val-ve 25 is provided on the outlet to the connection 24 for maintaining the liquid level in the preliminary still.

between the desired limits. `Supplementary control valves 26 and 27 may be provided in connections 23 and 24 respectively.

The exhausting tower illustrated is of bubble tower' construction and comprises a verti ally arranged shell 28 having an extended series of bubble plates 29 therein and is arranged with a liquid reservoirBO in the lower end. The connection 23 from the preliminary still enters the tower below the Vlower-most bubble plat-ev and the connection 24 is arranged to discharge into the tower at a point above the liquid level in the preliminary still and somewhat below the uppermost bubble plate. TheY space within the tower between the connections V23 and 24 thus serves as'tlie exhausting vreceptacle and they space above the connection 24 as a .rectifying receptacle. rlhe separated, vapors and gases escape from the rectifier through connection 31 and the denuded absorbent is withdrawn from the reservoir through connection 32. A float actuatedvalve 34 is provided in the outlet to the connection 32 to maintain the level in thel liquid reservoir 30 below thegas and vapor inlet andabove the liquid outlet. A steamcoil' for supplying is desired, valve 27 may be used.

additionalheat, for example, to make up for' heat losses inthe connections between the preliminaryy still and the exhaustingtower, is provided in the lowerpart of the tower. The steam coil is controlled by valves 36 and 37 and is connected on'- its outlet end with steam trap 38. A perforatedv pipe 39 controlled by valve 40 is also provided in the base of the tower for. the dir'ectintroduction of steam or other inert gas. y

yIn the connection 23V conducting `the vapors and gases from the preliminary stillv to the lower part of the exhausting tower, a

.sensitive expansion or pressure reducing valve 41 is interposed. f The valve 26 in this connection mayfalso be employed to supplement the regulation of the lvalve 41.. The outlet of the connection 24 conducting the liquid residuum from the preliminary still to the upper part of the exhausting tower is elevated a substantial distance aboveV the liquid level in the preliminary still. The vertical distance between the outlet of connection 24 and the normal'liquidlevel in the preliminary still may be adjusted to mainNr tain the desired additional pressure .in the prelnnmary'still; or where pressure in ex! cess of that imposed by this liquid column y Where the elevation ot the outlet is msuiiicient to lmaintain the desired pressure, the valve 25 also' act-s to ref gulateA the pressure reduc.-

tion. rthe regulation of thevalve 25 may be supplemented or replacedk by regulating valve 27. Y

The heat exchanger 21 is of theshell and tube type. from the absorber to the preliminary still is circulated through the tubes Aof the heatex` changer. rlChe denuded absorbent from the exhausting column is circulated about the tube and is discharged through connection 42. They denuded absorbent is thus'cooled andthe charged absorbent preheated on its way to the preliminary still. The denuded absorbent after passing through the heat exchanger 21 iscirculated through the cooler 43 on its way to the pump 6. j The cooler illustrated consists of an atmospheric cool ing coil over'which water or other cooling fluid is distributed from perforated pipe 44. A shell'and tube type'of cooler may beeinployed in placeof' the atmospheric type of cooler but an atmospheric cooler is of advantage where cooling `water of satisfactory` .quality for use in a shell-and tube type of cooler is not readily available or where itis desirable tol supplement the cooling action The charged absorbent passing iro sirable to limit the degree of extract-ion effected in the absorber, for example to prevent or reduce the absorption o'l wild gasoline vapors from natural gas, all or a partof the absorbent leaving the heat exchanger Qlymay be lay-passed. around the cooler 43 through valved connection 415. n i

A single ilephlegmator Li? ot shell and tube con uction is illustrated although a series ol such dephlegniators may be employed. The vapors escaping 'from the upper end of the exhausting tower enterthe dephlegmator 417 through connection 3l and alter circulating about the cooling tubes therein escape through connection 48. Cooling fluid is supplied to the dephlcgniator through connection i9 and aitter passing through the ltubes therein Aescapes through connection A. thermoslatically operated valve 5l is provided in the eooli fluid outlet actuated bythe thermo at in the vapor outlet 48 for controllingthe cooling and condensation within the dephlegmator. From the dephlegmator, any condens-ati is returned to the upper partot the rec ying section oit the tower 28 through connection 53 arranged to form a. liquid seal to prevent discharge ci? vapors frein the` tower therethrough. A trap ilf'is connected to the lowpoint the seal for removing any water condensed in the dephlegmator where direct steam employed in. the prelin'iinary still or exhausting tower. Where the removal of water at this point is not desired, the Valve. 55 closed disconnecting the trap r"he dephlegiuate returned to the rectiiliying section ol the tower 28 assists in the rectiticaf tion, and the character or' the .final product can, within limitsJ be controlled. b y regulation of the character and quantity oit de' phlcgmate. These factors can in turn be controlled by regulation ot the temperature and amount ont cooling fluid circulated through the dephlegmator.

The dephlegmation in vthe dephlegnnitor el? can also be controlled and promoted by introducing a regulated. amount oli the charged absorbent from the absorber into direct contact with ahevapors in the dephlegmator through connect-ion 5G provided with control valve 5'?. Regulation ot the amount ot charged absorbentintroduced into the dephleginator can he effected by adjustment ot valves 57 and 53. The absorbent and any unv'aporized part oli the absorbed constituents, after passing through the` dephlegmator, is returned to the tower 28 through con-v nection and is subjectedr to thestripping operation therein, the resulting stripped al sorbent also collecting in the reservoir 3() at the base of the tower and is returned there-Y the condenser l5 and the condensate is collected in the receiving drum 59. YCooling fluid is supplied to the condenser @t5 through connection 60 and is discharged therefrom through connection 6l. may be withdrawn from the receiving drum V5) through connection G2; 'or wheredirect tageously is thoroughly heat insulated or lagg d to prevent heat. loss; particularly the n'eliminary still, Vthe exhausting tower, the pressure reducing means and the connections between them. To assist in regulation oit the operation of the apparatus, thermometers or other temperature indicating instruments can be arranged in the gas inlets and outlets and absorbent inlets and outlets in the absorbers, on the inlets and outlets ot the heat exchangers and the absorbent coolc as, on the vapor and gas and the liquid outlets ronl the preliminary still, on the ex- 1Vausting tower inlets Vfrom the preliminary still and in the vapor outlet and liquid reservoir in the exhausting tower, on the cooling l'luid connection and the vapor inletsaud outlets and the dephlegmate return line of dephlegmators, and on the condenser for the jinal product. r

ln operating the apparatus for separating gasoline constituents .trom natural gas, the natural gas is passed upwardly through the absorbing tower wherein it is contacted with the cooled liquid absorbent, the absorbent extracting the gasoline constituents. The charged absorbent is passed through the heat exchanger to the preliminary still in which an initial separation ot gases and vapors is eliected and after reducing the pressure upon the separated vapors and gases and the liquid, the separated gases and vapors and the liquid residuum are passed `in countercurrent and in direct contact in the cxhaus 1 ing tower where the absorbed constituents are substantially completely removed from the absorbent. .Where heat is applied only in the preliminary still, sufficient heat should The condensate l be introduced to vaporize all of the gasoline content .trom the absorbent and. to malte up tor any heat losses, although complete vaporization of the absorbed gasoline constituents is not effected in the preliminary still. lllhere heat is applied at other points, as in the exhausting tower, the amount of heat introduced in the preliminary still be somewhat less. The temperatures employed may also be reducedby directly introducing steam or some other inert gas intothe preliminary still or the exhausting towel'. In

` iorization bv reduction of the artial ressure of ther gaseline constituents. l There such gas is introduced itvpasses through the be separated from the 'condensed gasoline in the. receiver. Additional cooling of the lin'al gasoline fraction Vmay. be desirable' where stripped gas is. employed in `this manner.

apparatus with the gasoline vapors and can VDue to the relatively higher pressures prevailingin the preliminary'still, a selective vaporization of the lighter absorbed constituents is effected therein and vaporization or enti-animentl of the absorbent is avoided or minimized, even wherea relatively light absorbent is employed. ,A relatively lower pressure prevails' in the exhausting tower and the liquid absorbent is substantially completely denuded'of its remaining content of its absorbed gasoline by direct contact in coun'tercurrent flow with the heated vapors and gases therein. `In the section of the exhausting tower ibove the liquid residuum inlet-'the separated vapors contained inthe gasoline are subjected to rectification and any entrained or vaporized absorbent is separated rfrom the gasoline. If additional heat is required to complete the stripping of the absorbent, for example heat losses between the preliminary still and the exhausting tower or too great cooling of the exhausting tower because of the expansion or vaporization of the vapors and gases upon reduction of pressure, a heating fluid-is. supplied to the heating vcoilV in the base of 'the column yor passed directly up through the column through the perforated pipe in the base thereof.. This perforated pipe `may be arranged at the lower part lof the liquid reservoir as shown or it may be ar *anged above the liquid level in the reservoir. From the liquid reservoir in the base of the exhausting tower, the denuded absorbent is circulated through theheat exchanger giving up a part/of its heatv to the charged absorbent entering the 'preliminary still 1 and after further cooling, if necessary, is re- The vapors andv turned to the absorber.. gases separated from the absorbent in the exhausting` tower are passed through the rectifyine` section of the towerl and thence vthrough one or more dephlegmators, any dephlegmate is returned to :the rectifying and exhausting tower, and the linal gasoline fraction escaping` from thedephlegmator as a vaporis condensed and collected.

One of the important advantages of the denuded absorbent.

apparatus of thepresent invention is thatiitV enables a more complete stripping of the liquid absorbent and the maintenance'- of conditions`A inf which lower Vaporization temperatures can be employed. In the sepvkaration of absorbent gasoline from a liquidabsorbent, anyr Aconstituents left in theV` absorbent by incomplete stripping comprise the heaviest andfmost valuablegfraction ofthe vabsorbed gasolineso that 'complete stripping is also desirable in ythis respect.y The more complete stripping lof theabsorbent` which is effected in the apparatus of the 'present invent-ion has the important.. result that it enables a reduction in the amount of absorbent circulated inL the apparatus necessary forltlie treatment ofany given amount of gas mixture or for theseparation of any given amount' of `constituents ofthe gas mixture.y

The decreased amount of absorbent required permits they use lof smaller pump capacity and smaller ycirculating lines. It also reduces the surface required in the heat eX- changersrand in thecoolers for'coolin'g the Less vheat is likewise required tor distill the absorbed vgasoline or other absorbed constitutents, thus permitting` the 'use of a smaller preliminary still capacity or a'preliminary still with lessheating surface as well as reducing the fuel'consumption. 1 The reduction 'in vthe amount of absorbent required' likewise increases the thervreduces the ,size of the equipment andthe* Aamount of 1 power required, for example, it

and cooled in the apparatus of the invention.

More complete stripping ofthe absorbent also improves the absorptive capacityy of the absorbing medium, enabling a greater per-l centage recovery of the desired constituents,

while the improved efliciency `ofthe apparatus in separating the absorbed constituents from the absorbing medium also enables the use of lower distillation temperatures in the bring them to atmospheric temperature is `correspondingly reduced. Lower distillation l temperatures also increase the hazard involved in handling hot combustible absorbents. Lower distillation temperatures also reduce the total amount of hea-t required tov effect thel distillation and reduce4 the temper- 1 ature range over which the absorbent is alrequired for the recovery of any. given amount of theconstituents of the gas mix-l ture or ltor the treatment ci" any given amount ofthe gas mixture and the relative decrease in the temperature range involved in the operation of the apparatus combine to decrease the total heat differential and conse uently to increase the practical thermal eliiciency. The total heatrcquiredto be introduced yinto theapparatus is thus decreased and the total heat requiredto bc abstracted from `the apparatusiis likewise dccreased. The first ot these `factors reduces fuel consumption and the second reduces the amount ot cooling required. t will be apparent that these advantages `enable the recovery and lseparation oit .an increased.

amount of the constituents oi1 'the gas mixl ture or the treatment of an increased amount of .the gas mixture with any` given plant installation. The character of the product obtained is likewise improved in uniformity due to the more complete strippingrot the absorbent and in quality due tothe improved separation effected between the absorbed constituents and the liquid absorbent.

I claim:

1.9An apparatus tor separating the con vstituents ot gaseous mixtures by treating Vwith liquid absorbing mediums, comprising an absorber, a preliminary still7 means for ,heatingsaid still7 an exhausting towerya cooler,a dephlegmator, connections for conu ducting charged absorbent from the absorber to the preliminary still, connections for introducing vapors and gases from the still in- Yto the lower part of thetower and for in-V troducing liquid from the still into the upper part ofthe tower including means for reducing the pressure between the still and the exhausting tower, connections 'for introducing vapors gases from the exhausting tower intoY the dephlegmator, means for in troducing a part oit the charged absorbent from the absorber directly into the vapors and gases in the dephlegi ator, means :tor

circulatingthe gas mixturethrough the absorber7 and connections :tor returning denuded absorbent from the exhausting tower through thecooler to the absorber.

2. An apparatus forseparating the constitucnts oit gaseous mixtures by treating with liquid absorbing mediums, comprising an absorber, a preliminary still,-means for 'heating said still, an exhausting tower, a

dephlegmator, connections for introducing vapors and gases `from the still'into the lower part ot the *towerV and for introducing liquid from the still into the upper part of the tower, means for reducing Ahe pressure between the still and the exhausting tower, connections for introducing` vapors and gases from the exhausting tower into the dephlegmator, and means torintroducing charged absorbent from the absorber directly into the vapors and gases in the deplilegmater.

In testimony whereof ai'lix my signature.

HARQLD B. BERNARD. 

